Lead with Questions

Well, I recently posted on Four Questions to Never Ask, but it occurs to me… the right questions can be incredibly effective. And in fact, leading with questions can be a great strategy. How?

• Drive clarity: “Why are we here today?”
• Focus on outcome: “What would success look like at the end of this meeting?”
• Build teamship: “What enabled us to be successful in this endeavor?”
• Celebrate heroes: “Who really stood out in this exercise, delivering above and beyond?”
• Facilitate assessment: “What are potential consequences of this decision?”
• Inspire reflection: “Why did this work?”
• Encourage creativity: “Can this be done any other way?”
• Solicit innovation: “What should we be doing that we aren't today?”

As leaders, we can craft a culture that leads with questions. Open-ended questions are lovely. They don’t lead the witness or shut down conversation. Rather, they open new possibilities and encourage dialogue. Don’t you think?

#leadwithquestions #donttell